Q&A

November 11, 2008

I reached out to Durella aka 2Gbaski the other day with some questions and he took time out of his busy schedule to show love back by replying with his answers.

Durella's album 'King of the Zanga', as seen in the picture below (the album cover) will be on every street corner in Lagos, Okoko, Alaba and Yaba on Monday Nov 17th '08...

How come you have never released an album considering the fact that you had
3 well received singles and shot 2 solid videos for Shayo and Wiskolo
Wiska?We have a saying at TC Records, we don't panic, we plan it. People needed to feel me before we blow them away with my album.

Many People have compared your style to D'banj's, is he an influence musically? Also who were some of your influences coming up?Life is my main influence. Coming up, I loved boys 2 men, Biggie was
just 2gbaski. I do enjoy Pasuma and lyrically I think African Chain is
heavy.

Enu O See is a smash hit, what inspired that song and what does it mean to you?The boy is from the zanga, people sometime step up to me like I don't
have a voice, like when they talk I can't reply... this is just
reminding them that I do and I can. No be mouth do Durella... Enu o se
Durella.

You
have various nicknames 2Gbaski, King of the Zanga, Omo Yapayaski and
Durella Miskiaski. Break down the meanings of these names for usIf I break down all, how people go buy my dictionary, but i go give you
2gbaski... simple means Too Much... like you are too much, you are
2gbaski.

How
is the music business in naija and what challenges have you faced?
Also, what advice would you give artists trying to enter the music
scene in naija?Challenges, we don't have all day... but that is life. TC Records, my
family has made it easy for me to remain me and do what I do.. make
music. Ski, show me the money!

You were recently featured in the MTV Advance Warning competition and you won your competition against O.D. How did that feel?Like I said in my song "In the zanga", hey Ski, right now I am on the
right track, TC-Records representing. The win on MTV AD, showed that we
are still on the right track.

When is the album coming out and what is it called?My album: The King of the Zanga, will be out on the 17th of November... nothing do you if you buy 25.

July 09, 2008

Killz, your first single 'My Name Is' was fresh in that it was
different for Naija music. You performed it at the channel O awards and
you were even nominated for an award. Did you anticipate the type of
response you received from not only the single but the album as a whole?
No I didn't expect that kind of response to be honest. I knew I had something and it was something I had cultivated for a bit so it just needed to be heard. There was so much backlog at the time that all that shit needed to just go. A lot of the songs on the first album were songs that I had recorded years
back and some of them like "my name is" and "legal representah" were
turned down or rejected as worthy material in the States, but that
didn't stop me. I knew that I had something; which is why when I got back to Nigeria, my grind was on a whole new high and the results are naked to
the eye. Talk about at an accelerated rate and It is safe to say that I expedited
my own route.

Prior to even thinking about bringing out an album, at what point
did you decide, "Ok this is what I am going to do and I am going to put
a 100% into my music". What led to that light bulb moment?Meeeeehhhnn,
that light bulb moment came years ago. It must have been right before I
moved to New York in '96. I was still busting and all that but the crew I was
running with didn't really show that much interest for prioritizing me. I think I "was too deep" is what my boy used to tell me, but then I was
like if I don't get this done right now myself ain't no body gonna do it. At the time, I was at odd ends with family because they couldn't see any
progress in my life. I was in and out of the University, working jobs all over the
place and it just looked like there was no direction, but I was
grinding in a world where I didn't expect them to understand. Then I was
like if I don't focus on it all the way then whats the point? That is when I started paying more attention to the way things worked and how things
were run. That must have been '98/'99.

Your presence in the Nigerian music scene has contributed to the
acceptance of rap music in Nigeria. Where did the inspiration for your
1st album come from and where was it recorded?My first album was
recorded all over the globe. As a matter of fact just based on the
places, the album should have been entitled International Killz, 'cause some
of it was done in Washington D.C, New York, Vienna, Paris and Lagos. Thus the inspiration came from places and the state of mind at that
period. I have been through a lot in my life; highs and lows and believe
me when I say to you that this is one of the few highs there has been. That on its own is another infinite source of inspiration.

Now you are 2 albums deep; typically in a music career once you pass
your sophomore album and you are still relevant, it is a good sign of a
good and long career. How did the direction for your 2nd album differ
from 'Son of the Soil' and did you feel any pressure recording it?
Truth be told, going through the process of introducing my album and
pushing it etc, schooled me as to what the people were looking for and
used to hearing. Regardless of whether I felt like I made progressive
music or not, I realized that I needn't change who I am just change my
attack mode. I really didn't want to go in the studio just because I knew what
was necessary. I had to give them real life happenings in a better
light for them to get it without even noticing they did. Mixing the
dark with the light, but at the same time exposing your insides; which
is why I came up with the trilogy. Life and times is a three part series; this first one will give glimpses into my life just like the following
two will do. That way, at the end of the trilogy you will know Ikechukwu
inside out, thus sealing the bond made between me and my people.

I noticed that your 2 singles from the new album have had features
while all your singles from the debut did not have one feature. What
was your reasoning behind the decision on the 2nd album?I had Dbanj
, Naeto C, Big Lo, Dare, Zeal and Alaye on the Son of the Soil album, but
due to the overwhelming persona of "my name is Ikechukwu" all other
tracks we rendered invisible. Now, these first two singles, 'Wind am
well' and 'Like you', were recorded simultaneously and are supposed to be
part one and part two. There are songs called 'Girlfriend' and 'Back to
you' that are also linked to that part of the story; Ikechukwu's
different experiences with women. In the summertime meet a girl who
winds it well, you toast that she can be your girlfriend, she agrees
and you let her know that nobody can love you like her, then you mess
up on the road and let her know that you are always trying to run back
to her. I get carried away with the cohesion of this album but its just
because of that, that I do. The story goes from beginning to end and
leaves you wondering 'dam what is he gonna tell us on his second album?'

You have been doing this for a few years now and I am sure you can
answer this question. How does the above average Nigerian artist eat.
Album sales or shows? How attractive is the financial gratification for
the guy/girl who has the talent and passion for music in Nigeria?
It is because of this question that I thank God for education, that is; higher education. If I never went to college I would not be the person I am now.I would have barely survived or gone back to the states because for the
longest and even up till now, artists income is based on shows. Some
get lucky and get approached by some corporate body and get some form
of endorsement, but for you to be that lucky you have to have had
several overwhelming hits. So it is bleak. However, since guys like Dbanj, Naeto C and myself got in the game it has taken a turn for the
better. We are educated in every sense of the word. Upcoming artists
who want to do this for real, don't dump school for this, do them
together and they will help each other and believe me an educated
artists is miles ahead of an uneducated one. Secondly, the government
and the economy, letting them know that we can help elevate and are a
major tool in the progression and growth of the country's economy. With
that said I guess it is safe to say that the future is looking very
sweet and there is a future in the entertainment industry in Nigeria
especially because it is just coming of age.

World Famous Akademy, is made up of you Naeto C and Uzi your
brother. Is Uzi going to drop an album anytime soon (I heard some of
his mix tape tracks). What is the future of WFA and is it strictly a
rap label?
Uzi's album is in the works, he will be in Nigeria by Gods grace this Xmas and his single " Ridin on my Suzuki" is on Facebook, Youtube and
about to go exclusive on MTV Base. The P is too heavy!WFA
is not just a Label, Fashion house, production unit, entertainment/marketing consultant, talent scout and developer, content provider/developer, but it is also a movement. These are not things we are
looking to do, these are things that we have already done, just looking to
do it on a bigger, grander, global scale.

Where can people outside of Nigeria get your music and pay for it?All WFA music can be found on iTunes, yahoo, orchard etc. Back logs are available now and new stuff is being activated as we speak. Its a new day people we are not only accessible but very available. New music is always available on myspace and storm siteswww.myspace.com/internationalkillzwww.myspace.com/son_of_the_soil

Anything else you want to add or say to the people?To all my fans
and people out there, I really love y'all . Keep supporting the
realness. Peace love and God speed to your destinies P.SNaeto C album "You know my P" out nowLife and Time of Killz vol.1 coming August

June 23, 2008

Dr Seyi Oyesola speaks at a TED talks conference in 2007 about the state of health care in Nigeria, particularly about the environment, obsolete equipment and hygiene. He then goes on to talk about some of his solutions (sustainable) to the problem and more... Watch the video in its entirety.

June 11, 2008

I had the chance to send some questions to the founder of sturvs.com, Temi Kolawole, and he replied me with some answers.

What is sturvs for those who don't know and why the name 'sturvs' (cool name by the way)?Sturvs is a website for Nigerians to share links, articles, videos, music and anything else on the internet. Apart from the wealth of content it serves, Sturvs is also getting stronger as a marketing tool. So it works two ways, firstly for users looking for Nigerian content, and secondly for users promoting Nigerian content. “Sturvs” is a slang that became popular over the last few years among Nigerians, and simply means “stuff”. That’s a perfect name for what the website does now.

Is sturvs a social networking site, if not what is it?No Sturvs isn’t really a social networking site, as the focus isn’t as much on user interaction as it is on content sharing and storing. I would call it more of a social bookmarking site. Sturvs also has a bookmark tool users can place on their website to help share their content on Sturvs.com. But we have adapted this social bookmarking service to serve Nigerian news & entertainment.

Prior to starting sturvs what were you doing?Prior to Sturvs I was doing what I’m still doing today, which is run Antigravity Inc., a web design & development company with my partner Bode Ojo. We’ve been running the company for 4 years now, and have clients in the USA, UK, Nigeria and in the Caribbean.

What made you start sturvs? What inspired sturvs and when did you officially start?I had been brainstorming for a while on creating a new Nigerian website which would be different from anything else out there, and the idea came to me one weekend in April 2007. I got to work immediately and not long after, I launched Sturvs, but it was very bare at the time with minimal features. It has grown a lot since then.

If you asked me 4 years ago, I would have said that no African/Nigerian social network/online community site will work or be successful. I would have been wrong. Personally, I think Sturvs is working very well. People are participating willingly, why do you think that is? What is the incentive to the user to add or post on sturvs?I feel the African and especially the Nigerian Web 2.0 era is just starting, and our people are beginning to realize that there could be potential here. Everything before now has either been a fluke or not done right. With news of Facebook and other internet companies being worth billions of dollars, I think Africans and Nigerians have started asking themselves how this could work for them.I think the first plus for Sturvs is its name. Users can easily relate to it and it’s something fresh and different. It’s also not the regular Nigerian website with the word “Naija” in the domain name. I don’t have anything against that, but I think Nigerian webmasters have been a bit lazy when it comes to naming websites. Secondly, the fact that users can control content is a big incentive. Right now users might not yet know the weight Sturvs carries, but items posted on our home page get crawled by search engines within hours. Sturvs has and is gaining more leverage with search engines, as searches for most of the latest Nigerian music have a Sturvs link on the first page. Basically, Sturvs gives very good exposure to submissions.

In your opinion and from your results, what are some of the things that you think has helped sturvs get to where it is right now?Sturvs might have come a long way, but it still has a longer way to go. There’s many more areas we’re going to reach into. There’s so much more we could do. Some of the things that might have helped are the Facebook application, the easy to remember name, and search engine optimization that we continually do.

I see you just added the Sturvs search engine. Are we going to see any additional tools or enhancements to sturvs anytime soon? What does the future of Sturvs look like?The Sturvs Search Engine is part of the next phase of our strategy for the year.Yes you will definitely see additional tools and enhancements soon. We have embarked on a constant development mission. Since there will always be a way to improve the experience for users, there will always be changes and enhancements to make. Any serious web startup should realize this fact, that launching a service is just the start, but overall success depends on how you respond to user’s needs. Some websites get popular then after a while the buzz dies down. Hi5 was once the foremost social networking website, and everybody had a profile there. Right now I can’t even remember when last I visited the site. We plan to never die down on the Nigerian scene, and to keep innovating & creating. Even with competition, we plan to still stand strong as a unique service dedicated to the Nigerian internet.

Sturvs.com is 154,757 on Alexa ranking. Does high ranking typically translate to high revenue from Ads? How is the financial reward so far?Quick correction, as I type Sturvs is currently ranked 148,288. Yes high ranking shows high traffic which in turn could (not for sure) mean high revenue. It’s possible to have high traffic and not convert it into revenue effectively. It all depends on strategy. Ad types, ad placement, ad visibility are all factors involved. If you bombard a website with too much advertising, you will get on your users’ nerves, and reduce your traffic. An example of this is OnlineNigeria.com, which is packed full of popups, and has had dropping traffic for a while now. On the other hand, if you don’t put enough advertising, you could be short-changing yourself. So it all depends on strategy.I won’t give any figures right now, but income from Sturvs is good. It takes care of server infrastructure costs and more, but we’re working on a strategy to quadruple our advertising income, even if we don’t get an increase in traffic (which we most likely will). Our traffic has been on a steady rise since we started aggressive marketing in March this year and is still rising.

Does sturvs have any employees right now? If so how big are you?I’m the only permanent employee right now, and 4 more people working part time. We are currently in a development phase, where we want to add to and perfect what we have up to a particular level, then begin to hire people to run the service.

Would like to add anything important that I may not have asked?Hmm…well, I’d just like to say thanks to NotJustOk for this interview, and all the Sturvs users. In the internet industry it’s all about the users, so we have to keep them happy. A few times when we had server glitches, users send us emails asking us to please restore service and they thank us for all the hard work. That’s where we want to be, at a place where users need us and rely on us for Nigerian content. We also want to make sure we don’t disappoint our users and live up to the task. Imagine what will happen if Facebook was down for a whole day.

April 07, 2008

The inspiration for this
initiative was a culmination of a number of factors, primarily

·A desire to begin
to give back to Nigeria today as opposed to waiting until we have amassed
wealth and influential professional status

·Knowledge that
peers with similar academic and societal privileges were frequently
inadequately positioned to obtain stellar professional opportunities

·The disheartening
fact that the education system in Nigerian is suffering from major
underinvestment in both human and capital resources

·The limited level
of community activism among privileged youth

·Belief that the
establishment of credible organizations that provide academic guidance, career
planning and professional support can serve as a viable mitigant to the human
capital challenge plaguingNigeria

2.
Correct me if I am wrong, but it appears that your organization is
mainly focused on helping the youth maximize their personal and
professional experience? If so, can you expand on how you do that?

IMPACT aims to build a community of activists with a strong commitment to leadership, self improvement and drive to positively impact their environment.

3. What are some of the things or systems you have or are currently
working on to actually realize your the mission of your organization?

The focus of this
event was equipping students with the necessary tool-kit for becoming
well-rounded students and leaders in the community. Through our panels we
tackled various issues to increase student awareness of how to seek out and
take advantage of opportunities in the school setting that enable them to
broaden their non-academic interests; and how to set career goals for
themselves early on in the game.

September 25, 2007

Naeto Chuko popularly known as Naeto C is a Nigerian bred hiphop/rap artist. He has been on his rap grind for a while now, rapping for fun as he finessed his flow and technique on the microphone. Now that there is Bread involved, he is no longer doing it for fun. He proclaims on his Myspace page "Gidi is mine n I'm taking over Cuz im bored"; with his highly anticipated, "unnamed" album due out soon which features his new hit single "U know my P" ft Ikechukwu, he might DO just that. I was able to ask Naeto C some questions the other day and he was available to answer them. He is spittin some heavy "P" on this Q&A, one of the best (content wise) Q&As I've done so far:

When did you start rapping and tell us a little about how you got to this skill level?I started rapping between '99 and 2000...when i
met my boy Uzi (1/3 of World Famous Akademy) after moving to the US to
go to college...him and ikechukwu have different styles so in the
process of trying to keep up i played with different styles as well, in
addition, I was always around really skillful rappers like them and
some other dudes down with our crew, Juan Carlos, Omega, Chion Press, i
think being down with them and having Cyphers definite increased my
skill level...working with a lot of producers and eventually becoming a
co-producer helped too...that and objective listening to a lot of
music...

When and how did you realize that you were good enough to pursue this as a career?

Before i came back to Nigeria i had recorded
over 45 solo songs and about 30 group songs so in between all this i
realized i had some potential but after getting back to Nigeria and
recording "Sittin on Top", I literally performed the song a week later
at a big brother eviction party...about three thousand people in the
audience...the response was pandemonium, I could hear myself rap and
got so overwhelmed that I had to stop the music and thank everybody...I
think at that point i was like "i can pretty much do this",
furthermore, finding out the possibility that this career field could
financially make sense if i approach it properly made me feel it was
cool to do it as a career thing.
Who were some of the people that influenced and shaped you as an artist?Other
than my Crew, WFA, I'd say Wu Tang, 2pac, Jay-z, BIG, 50 cent, Busta
Rhymes, Hugh Masekela, Corparal, Sizzla and Bob Marley...a few R&B
songwriters...I've learnt something from all of them pretty much...i
like a lot of music but that never meant i was influenced per say, the
guys i mentioned definitely influenced me or laid a format for me to customize for myself and shape up my image and music properly

Your
rapping accent can easily pass for an American's. Usually when people
hear you rap, they always say something like "omo this guy phone tap
o"... In fact, the other day I played 'Lagos City, Hustler' for a
friend and the only thing that gave you away was the content of the
music. Did you ever try pursuing a rap career in the states or you
focused strictly on Gidi? Why?

Wait till u hear the new version of LCH,
We're shooting that video soon...i tried pushing myself out there but i wasn't equipped properly no Video's, no structured album, little fan
base, the things that get u a record deal...WFA had been pushing our
brand out there but the thing is that out there (the States) they want u to have
covered all the ground work and have the things I just mentioned...I
was in school so my focus was divided. Furthermore before you win the west,
u have to win your people, it made more sense to focus on Gidi...Since
we have what it takes to operate in the US, with seven videos, a naeto
c album, 3 wfa mixtapes, a new ikechukwu album in the can, a production
company, a continental fan-base, even better a core-nigerian fan base
(5% of 200million people is alot o!), shiiiiiiiiit, they'd be stupid
not to sign us...thats too much money in one pocket...we'll make it
there when the time is right...

Do you write on paper or spit straight from the dome?

A mixture but i rarely use paper, i use my PDA...

How receptive is Gidi to rap these days in your opinion?

Very receptive...if your a young black
man/girl Hip Hop is usually the soundtrack of your life besides thats
the most commercial type of music a regular Nigerian has access to, so
before "musa" in zaria can get his hands on bob maryley and the
wailers, he'll see a 50 cent CD 1st...its inevitable, youth
culture/urban culture is synonymous with HIP HOP/RAP, worldwide...Gidi
is definitely receptive

Not
to get too personal, but how is the monetary reward for you as an
artist. Considering the bootlegging in Nigeria, do you expect to make a
profit from album sales or you focus on the funds from the shows you
perform at?

Bootlegging never really matters in my own
opinion, there are bootleggers everywhere, even online with
shareware...i think that thats an excuse a lot of misinformed artists or
entertainers use to claim as a reason why they're broke...the real
reason why they're broke is cause they don't know how to create revenue
streams for their "business"...where's the business plan, where's the business structure, people are just putting out cd's and expecting to
get paid, even show money is no money in my opinion, thats fast money,
it doesn't last, how are u going to save fast money with daily expenses
of a celebrity?I'm going to capitalize off my platform and make a
sensible profit of my sales...my album will be available on over 20
digital platforms, itunes to cdbaby to freaking amazon, shit eBay
even...do you know a blank cd is more expensive that cd with music on
it in Nigeria? a song on i-tunes is 99cents almost the same as an album
in Nigeria, that a song=album in terms of pricing...we have an
independent street team that will assist in our physical distribution
about 300 strong nation wide, that should give us head
way...furthermore the telecom companies are talking about facilitating
their service with Nigeria music...too much is going down at the same
time boss...its impossible to lose
What can we expect from your album and what is it called?

The best should be expected apart from the
fact that I'm dedicated, I've had a year to set-up from a marketing
standpoint to a creative standpoint...my production company CERIOUS
MUSIC is all over my album, the production quality is definitely
situated, my beats selection for this album is crazy, the content is
built to attract interest...something for everybody, some stuff nobody
done before in the whole world bro, I'm confident because as team we've
worked hard to select the best music for this time period, i keep on
recording new stuff and adding it to the album which i need to chill
on, by the time I'm done I'll have my 2nd album ready...i already do
actually, this LP is untitled tho...any suggestions?
How are the females treating you these days, compared to back in the days?I guess I'm more visible/audible, TV,
magazines and radio exposes ur personality positively because those are
all aspirational forms of media to people in general. I meet females
who like the music or the imagery, or who just like the cause.I've
always had more female friends so the difference isn't much yet, its
whatever...

What is the next single called and when can we buy the album?U know my P ft Ikechukwu, Premiering on MTV Base pretty soon, pictures on facebook...check my website
www.worldfamousakademy.com, my myspace-
myspace.com/naetochuko,
facebook me etc, i'll post all the digital platforms carrying the album
as soon as the paperwork stuff is sorted...it'll be everywhere and more
places you see a cd from nigeria...

September 04, 2007

A few readers of the blog may be unfamiliar with the brand "TiwaWorks". To keep it simple, TIWAWORKS is "AN UPSCALE EVENT PLANNING AND PROMOTIONAL COMPANY" based out of Atlanta, GA. Tiwaworks is most popular for promoting the famous "Final Friday" parties out here in Atlanta at "the House". The neat thing about TiwaWorks in my opinion is the brand's ability to cater to a wide a variety of individuals from different cultures and backgrounds, which is usually difficult to do. I recently had some questions for brains behind TiwaWorks, and here are his answers:

How did TiwaWorks originate. I mean the name?Tiwaworks originated
from my name- Tiwa and works came from Works lol. When i was thinking
about a name for my company i wanted something that would be
unique..something that will stand out and something that i can brand
easily everyday. What better way than to use my own name.

The first time I noticed you were doing this promo thing in Atlanta was way back in the day when Chaos was still open. How long have you been promoting parties? Did you just start your party promoting career in Atlanta?
Mann you've been around the party scene for a minute lol. Chaos
was wayy back in the day when i was finding my way around Atlanta and
making a name for myself. I've been promoting parties actually since
2000. My frat brother (Dave) and i started deep in the country (lol)
when i was a student at Georgia Southwestern State University,
Americus, Ga ... for my frat, various student organizations i was
involved in to gain my experience because i never had to worry too much
about a monetary loss since i was basically using the organization's
funds for the parties.(lol) So since 2000 ive been organizing parties
and prior to graduating i slowly made my transition to Atlanta by
having parties for my clientel.

I
can only imagine that there were ups and downs like any other thing in
life....How easy or hard was it to break in to the party promo scene,
especially in Atlanta, where there are party promoters in every corner?Well
for me.. it wasn't hard. I didn't think it was hard. When i started in
Americus, Ga, which is a very country city, i was throwing $3
parties..but the thing about throwing parties in the country is that
you learn the core basics of promotions. Yea it's all about making a
profit but you learn how to pull your crowd and make them have a great
time at your event. With these lessons in hand...when i made my
transition to Atlanta i applied these principles to build my name and
reputation . Despite the fact that there were party promoters in every
corner... i just wanted people that i cater my events specifically for
to have a good time....and to create a lasting impression.

Besides
distributing flyers and sending emails, what other means can a party
promoter use to get more people to his/her party? (Don't give out all
your secrets)Be
nice to people when you don't need them. Thats where alot of people
fail. They only reach out to people when they need them. Relationships
build success..and if your relationships are not strong with people
when you don't need them, they won't be around when you need them!!

How long has TiwaWorks, tha brand been alive?The brand of Tiwaworks has been alive for about 5 years now.

I'm
sure when you started, some people discouraged you from going into
party promoting. What Kept you going and motivated, during the tough
times? Yea
there were people trying to discourage me because party promotions
wasn't seen as a business. It was seen as something that wasn't
respected by so called business professionals. I was motivated to keep
on during tough times because i was passionate about party promotions
and i loved doing it. Those that tried to discourage me..actually fed
me with motivation to do 10times better than them..and i have! lol

You have pretty much conquered the Atlanta scene, party wise. What more can we expect from TiwaWorks as a brand?
Thank you for your kind words! I wouldn't say i've
conquered Atlanta but i know people don't take me as a joke or as a
mediocre company. You can expect more business outlets such as
Tiwaworks Real estate, Tiwaworks Management and a few over seas
projects in the works. I am also very dedicated to motivating others to
become entrepreneurs in their own light and to grow mentally,
spiritually and financially by empowering them with the tools.

What advice do you have for any aspiring event organizer or party promoter reading this right now?My advice will be not to limit yourself in anything you want to do in
this business. You set your stands and your own expectations. Always
take things one day at a time. Rome was not built in 3 months....plus
don't eat more than your stomach can take! It's a simple business.. but
we complicate everything in it.

November 05, 2006

1. Question: Eldee what inspired the "Me I go Yarn" song?" Answer: I’ll try to keep this short. I went out to Cartersville one night( for those who don’t live in ATL, this place is like 40 miles away from the city) and on my way back home at about 11pm, I had a blow-out on interstate 75…in the middle of nowhere. Within 5 mins, there was a cop, an ambulance and roadside assistance. The cop stayed till my tyre was changed and even escorted me back home cos I was riding a donut against my other 18-inch rims. On my way home, I thought of what could’ve happened to me if I was in the same situation at 11pm on 3rd mainland bridge and I almost started crying. I got home and wrote “I go yarn”.

2. Question: I think I know the answer to this question, but i'll ask you, do you guys (Naija Artists) have groupies?Answer: There are always groupies. You have to know how to handle the girls when they hit you up. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with babies everywhere. I’ve heard of girls stealing used condoms so they can do the conception manually…if you know what I mean…lol. Most people don’t think us naija artists get groupies but your sister is probably holla’in at me right now on myspace, hi-5, or she’s already been here sef.

3. Question: Are they usually under-cover groupies or gangsta with their behavior?Answer: Most girls are under-cover cos some just want to get a taste. Some like to be loud to show off amongst their friends.

4. Question: Where do you get your inspiration from?Answer: Day to day stuff. I write about my experiences.

5. Question: So what would you say distinguishes you from the rest of them artist like Edris, Tuface and those guysAnswer: We are probably close except maybe for the extra exposure I got to the world at a younger age. People have said Im probably the most well-spoken of them all. I might agree. I respect a lot of our artists and I am happy that people are able to distinguish eLDee from the rest by just listening to the content of the music.

6. Question: You have been in the game for a minute. You started with TrybesMen, what is your situation with those guys now?Answer: Everybody is doing their thing. Im here, KB is in Lagos working. Freestyle just released an album as well. Sasha is about to drop an album. 2shots was one of the top 3 artists for 2004/2005 so he is doing his thing as well. It gives me joy to see all my guys doing good.

7. Question: Is there going to be a re-union album?Answer: There may not be one but Im open to it if Freestyle will get off thinking he’s the heart and soul of Trybesmen. Its all about egos and personality clashes but Im sure we don’t have to be friends to make good music…right??

8. Question: When did you start rapping and who were some of the people/artists that planted the rap/music in you? Answer: I started rapping in 92. I started seriously in 98. I grew up listening to some of the strongest music around. Hiphop came late for me…say 1989. I caught up pretty good though. My biggest influences production-wise,…Dr. Dre, Timbaland. Sometimes even J-dilla(RIP), Ali-Shaheed…etc. Im not one to be big on rappers but if there’s anyone that has continuously impressed me over the decade; it will have to be Busta-rhymes. I dont have any “favourite” rappers cos everyone comes sloppy now and then. Some get a lot of props and acknowledgement but if you understand the industry, you know its about who has the best publicist/street team working on their hype. My biggest musical influence I believe is Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

9. Question: I know you produce as well. Have you been shopping your beats to some Atlanta artists or just strictly naija artists? Answer: I make neither snap-music nor any of their brands and style so I’m not shopping to anybody out here. If anything, I feel like if us Naija folk get behind naija music, we’ll have to be reckoned with…like they did the Jamaicans in the late-70s and early 80s. Jamaica is not even a big fraction of black people. We are the biggest black nation in the world and until we realize how much power we have with our numbers, we will be left behind all the time.

10.Question: How important is record sales with naija artists compared to doing shows, monetary wise? Answer: The bulk of your money comes from the distribution deals. I paved the way for most artists with the Alaba marketers by getting the pirates involved with distributing Nigerian artists. Artists are getting paid advances of up N15Million (about $100,000) nowadays. The rest of it comes from shows where you get paid anywhere from N250,000 to N1 million per show these days. You can’t worry much about the CD sales cos there is no RIAA nor soundscan to monitor sales for you in Nigeria. The distributors/pirates sell between 50,000 to 10 million copies, hence, the reason they can dole out millions in advances for big artists.

11.Question: So whats the situation with Trybe records and Storm Records. Do you own them both?Answer: I own Trybe Records but I have a partnership deal with Storm records to promote my music and my other artists in Africa.

12.Question: Eldee what advice would you give the new up and coming individuals coming into the game? Is work ethic improtant?Answer: As a naija artist, you have to understand that your strongest point and key to success is being relevant in Nigeria first. The rest will follow over time. Our guys are already getting recognition by the rest of the world. With more successes like tuface and the likes of Dbanj already taking home Kora, Mobo and MTV awards, you have to position yourself properly and make sure youre making “naija-compatible” music. You have to understand that there is a fine line between being a naija artist and being a western-wannabe. Nigerians love for you to be westernized but if you don’t make music they can relate to, you will ultimately lose your fans. All that artsy-fartsy “I don’t sing in pidgin” stuff doesn’t play well in Nigeria. Create good music but make sure your music is one Nigerians can relate to. Even the great Fela Kuti realized this after his return from abroad. He had to chill on the genre he was schooled in and make records in pidgin/yoruba to get accepted. Work ethic?...Most naija artists have a good work ethic being the hustlers we are as Nigerians. What separates the weak from the strong is the quality and presence of the music you make.

13.Question: What do you think has kept you in the game still? Answer: I’ve just kept making good music. A lot of people may disagree but regardless of how long I’ve been out of naija, I’m probably still one of the most feared and respected of the naija artists by both naija industry folk and fans. I have one of the most anticipated albums on the naija music scene and it feels good to know that people accept me for who I am and whatever I bring to the table.

14.Question: Anything else you want to add?Answer: My new album “Return of the king” has not hit Nigeria yet but it’s already looking very promising because I’ve gotten major offers from Nigeria with regards to distribution deals. I feel like it’s the next big thing on the scene for 2007. The album has sold a huge amount online which Is typically rare for Naija music so I’m very positive that we will do millions in Nigeria. Visit www.eldeethedon.com to get your copy. Ask around…..its a sure banger!

October 20, 2006

If you are not familiar, I wrote a short post on Nayo and her music a month or so ago. Her new single, 'African Girl' should be available in stores on November 13th and according to her Myspace Page, she will be performing at The Cobden Club on November 16th, so if you are a fan out there in London, you should go check her out live.

Nayo and I had a recent email exchange and I had nine questions for her:

1. Question: Nayo how's it going with ya. First things First, when is the album coming out and what is it called? Is it finished?

Answer: Things are very well, thanks for asking. The album will be released in the UK sometime next year. The album title will be revealed closer to the time as it isn’t yet finished. But it will be finished by November. The first song from the album ‘African Girl’ will be released to radio and available at retail everywhere in the UK sometime in November.

2. Question: Tell us something about you? Where did you grow up?

Answer: I was born in Lagos Nigeria, and partly raised in the UK, but mostly in Nigeria

3. Question: I know a while back, you had a hit single "Party Fever", I'm sure a bunch of folks were waiting for an album to follow up the single. What Happened?

Answer: Well with Party Fever, I was so far from doing an album. I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was just having fun co-writing this song and pressing about 1000 copies and somehow the song found its way on the Billboard Club Play charts and still gets played around every now and then. That totally convinced me that it was time to proceed with making a full length album.

4. Question: Everybody loves your voice. I even saw a quote on your myspace page "Her Voice Tastes Like Fine Wine". Did you always have a voice this sweet, even back in Nigeria? When did you discover that your voice was so good?

Answer: (Laugh) Well….yeah. It’s so gracious of everyone. Sometimes, I find it really amusing as I begged and begged to join the choir as a kid and I was told to play triangle because my voice wasn’t as angelic as the other girls. So I began writing my songs and singing them in my quiet time. So, no! I never thought my voice was sweet. Infact, I only sang in the church where it was hard to differentiate one person’s voice from the other.

5. Question: Who are some of the people who have inspired you musically and what genre would you classify your style of music?

Answer: I have been inspired by EBTG, Fela Kuti, Bob Dylan, Carole King to name a few. I find my music indefinable as it’s simply art but if you insist I place it somewhere between Ambient Pop/Soul.

7. Question: Did you write "African Girl", if yes what inspired it? That is a pretty good song.

Answer: I co-wrote African Girl with an amazing producer K.Warren. He put a track together in about 15 mins after I had called from the station to let him know that my train had been delayed. Upon my arrival, I just said I want to write a song called African Girl simply because who I am. He finished the track and I wrote the top line. It was such a fulfilling experience because I felt it has true to its purpose.

8. Question: What can we expect from the album?

Answer: Well, its completely original. Its very honest and stems from personal experiences and/or experiences of others that are very close to me. I wrote about 4 songs on the album and co-wrote the entire album with amazing writers. There are no samples. I have just been fortunate to have worked with such talented producers as well as some of the best musicians in my opinion. The premise was to create something that would be very representative of me - A Nigerian girl currently in diaspora growing and evolving each day. I am absolutely proud of it.

9. Question: Anything else you want say?

Answer: Thanks so much for your support and spreading the word about my music particularly at these early stages. I really appreciate it and I hope that you like the album. Cheers, Peace, Love + NAYO